Jo Seong-il’s brow furrowed the moment his eyes met Hoon’s. His face went pale, like he’d just seen a ghost.
“…What the hell? That’s a cliff.”
“What is it? Is there something down there?”
In contrast, Kang Soo-yeon, eyes filled with curiosity, began to step closer to the edge. Seong-il quickly grabbed her arm in alarm.
“Hey, what are you doing? …Are you seriously trying to go down there?”
“Yeah. Of course. Why else do you think we came all the way here?”
“No, look at it—it’s obviously dangerous. The ground looks like it already collapsed once. One wrong move and you could get seriously hurt.”
As he voiced his concern, Jo Seong-il glanced at Go Hoon with growing suspicion.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking… What if that thing’s not even a real cat? What if we’re seeing a ghost or something…?”
What’s with this guy? Why’s he such a coward? At the same time that thought crossed Hoon’s mind, Kang Soo-yeon’s irritated voice shot out.
“This idiot—why are you so scared when you’re supposed to be a guy?”
Finally, someone who gets it. Speaking on Hoon’s behalf, she clicked her tongue and brushed off Seong-il’s hand like it was nothing, then carefully stepped closer to Hoon.
“What is it, kitty? What’s down there?”
“Meow. Meeee-ow.”
There. Look closely. Right below you. That’s Bae Jung-yoon—the one you like so much—lying there unconscious. Hoon nodded urgently toward the collapsed figure of Bae Jung-yoon, pleading with his eyes. Kang Soo-yeon leaned over the edge and scanned the area below.
“I don’t see anything…”
“Hey, hey… Kang Soo-yeon, be careful! What if you fall?!”
“Relax. Jo Seong-il, come over here and shine your flashlight down there. It’s too dark to see clearly.”
Nervously inching closer, Seong-il pulled out a portable flashlight and pointed it downward.
“Do you see anything…?”
“Not there. Aim lower. A little more to the left.”
Hoon bounced on his paws, frustrated. It was right there in plain sight, but the two of them weren’t seeing it. Maybe all the trees around were hiding Jung-yoon’s body from view.
“Anyway, where the hell are Go Hoon and Bae Jung-yoon? They should be around here, but I don’t see them anywhere.”
Finally, Jo Seong-il said something worth hearing. The Bae Jung-yoon you’re looking for? He’s right down there, genius.
“Mrowww, meeooow—!”
Hoon ran up to him and meowed as loud as he could, but Seong-il just kept glancing around in the opposite direction, away from the ravine.
“Hmm… I still don’t see anything.”
“Alright, forget it. Let’s just go look for Go Hoon and Bae Jung-yoon.”
Then, just like that, Jo Seong-il turned to leave. No way. You’re not seriously walking away. After I dragged you all the way here?
Heart pounding, Hoon hesitated for a moment—then made a decision. He’d move before they could leave.
“Whoa—kitty, it’s dangerous over there…!”
Kang Soo-yeon must’ve noticed something, because she reached out a hand—but Hoon was already in motion. He braced his front and hind legs, then leapt straight down the slope.
“Kitty…! Where are you going?!”
Dirt flew as he skidded down the incline. Hoon didn’t try to stop—he charged forward, agile body perfectly balanced, reaching the bottom in no time. There were a few close calls where he almost lost his footing, but the important thing was that he landed safely.
He rushed straight to Bae Jung-yoon, still unconscious. Clamping his teeth around his collar, Hoon tugged with all his strength, doing everything he could to show them who was lying there.
Kang Soo-yeon, who’d been squinting as she watched, suddenly widened her eyes.
“Wait…? Isn’t that a person?”
“What?! A person? Where?!”
“There! The cat’s pulling at him!”
Her voice rose sharply. Jo Seong-il widened his eyes and peered over the edge.
“Whoa… Whoa! You’re right!”
“Seong-il, wait… That person—isn’t that Jung-yoon?”
“What?! That’s Bae Jung-yoon?!”
Jo Seong-il leaned forward, eyes locked on the figure below. He strained to get a better look at the clothing.
“…Yeah. That’s Bae Jung-yoon.”
His voice rang with certainty. Kang Soo-yeon grabbed Seong-il’s shirt and shook him in panic.
“Oh my god! It’s Jung-yoon! Bae Jung-yoon, wake up!”
“Wait—hang on—let go—gah… Wait, then where the hell is Go Hoon?!”
“How would I know?! Just call someone, now!”
“B-Bae Jung-yoon!”
“No! Don’t call him! Call someone! Someone else!”
Though it was a little nerve-racking to leave everything to two people who didn’t exactly scream reliability, the goal had been achieved. Hoon saw Jo Seong-il frantically making a phone call and finally let out a breath of relief.
Releasing his grip on Bae Jung-yoon’s collar, Go Hoon turned and quickly slipped into the forest.
Now, there was only one thing left to do: get dressed and return to Jung-yoon’s side before anyone else showed up. If he told Seong-il and Soo-yeon that he’d gone to look for help, they’d probably buy it.
He transformed back into human form without hesitation, retrieved the clothes he’d hidden in a shallow pit, and changed quickly. But just as he turned to head back toward where Jung-yoon lay, his vision suddenly blurred.
Maybe it was the aftereffect of taking cat form again after such a long time. His body felt like a machine losing power, the strength draining out of him all at once.
I can’t pass out here… The thought crossed his mind, but his body betrayed him.
His knees buckled and gave out. As he collapsed, he barely caught himself with both hands. For a moment, he managed to stay upright. But the exhaustion crashed over him like a wave, and everything faded to black.
***
Hoon opened his eyes with a grimace. Where am I? The question barely had time to form when someone grabbed his hand.
“Hey, Go Hoon. You okay?”
For a brief moment, he thought it was Bae Jung-yoon holding his hand. But the voice was someone else’s—Jo Seong-il.
Realizing that, Hoon let his eyes drift closed again. What the hell happened…? His whole body felt stiff and heavy, like rusted machinery. He raised a hand and pressed his palms over his eyes.
“…Is this a hospital?”
“Yeah. You and Bae Jung-yoon were both found unconscious at the bottom of the cliff. They brought you here—the hospital closest to the guesthouse.”
Hoon sat up, cradling his aching head.
“Whoa—hey… are you sure you should be getting up already?”
Seong-il looked genuinely concerned, but Hoon didn’t respond. He pressed a thumb into the arch of his brow and glanced down at himself. He was wearing a hospital gown—clearly, he’d been admitted.
“What time is it?”
Seong-il immediately pulled out his phone.
“10:47 p.m.”
So he’d been out for about eight hours. It was probably the stress—he’d pushed himself too hard in a short span of time.
Hoon glanced at the IV in the back of his hand, then slowly rolled his neck. He rotated his shoulders, moved his arms and legs—everything seemed to be working fine. Thankfully, no serious injuries.
“What about Bae Jung-yoon?”
After checking his own condition, he asked the question in a low, steady voice. But Jo Seong-il’s expression wasn’t encouraging.
“He’s still unconscious.”
Without wasting another second, Hoon got up. He pulled on his sneakers and stepped off the bed, but Seong-il quickly grabbed his arm in alarm.
“Hey, hey—where do you think you’re going?”
“To see Bae Jung-yoon.”
He brushed the hand off and continued walking, but Seong-il stepped in front of him again, shaking his head firmly.
“You can’t. They’re not letting anyone in.”
“I’m fine. I can move.”
Hoon assumed Seong-il was just worried about his condition, but Seong-il shook his head again, more firmly this time.
“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean literally—you’re not allowed in. They moved him to a VIP suite a few hours ago, and now there’s a guard outside. No one’s getting through. Kang Soo-yeon even made a scene crying and begging, but he wouldn’t budge.”
“…What?”
A guard? Hoon’s face twisted with confusion. It was too sudden, too out of place. Where the hell did a guard come from? Jo Seong-il seemed to catch on and scratched his forehead awkwardly.
“I guess the rumor about Bae Jung-yoon being the grandson of some chaebol chairman was true.”
That was all he could say—clearly, he didn’t know the full story either. Hoon’s strength drained out of him, and he dropped back onto the bed. A dry laugh escaped his lips.
“…Is he seriously hurt?”
“I don’t know. They said there’s no major trauma or life-threatening injuries. It’s just… he hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”
Seong-il’s voice trailed off. Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, his brow furrowed.
“By the way, what happened to you two? Do you remember anything about the accident?”
Of course he remembered. He remembered it all perfectly. He hadn’t blacked out when they fell. He’d been alert—sharper than ever—and even led Seong-il and Soo-yeon to the site with full awareness.
But he couldn’t exactly say that out loud. So Hoon frowned as if searching his memory.
“…I remember falling down the slope with Bae Jung-yoon. That’s clear. After that… nothing.”
“A fall? That was your fault?”
Seong-il’s voice was full of confusion. Hoon replayed the moment in his mind.
“Hoon-ah…!”
That desperate cry—and Bae Jung-yoon throwing himself over him without the slightest hesitation.
